The theory of periodic Barlow multi-lattices (X1X2…XN)∞ with Xi ∈ {A, B, C} and Xi ≠ Xi+1 of stacked two-dimensional hexagonal close-packed layers is presented and used to derive exact lattice sum expressions in terms of fast converging Bessel function expansions for inverse power potentials. We describe in detail the mathematical properties of Barlow sphere packings and demonstrate that only two basic lattice sums are required to describe all periodic packings. For the sticky hard-sphere model with an attractive inverse power law potential, we find a linear correlation between the cohesive energies of different Barlow packings and the face-centered cubic packing fraction.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe marsupial moles are arguably Australia's most enigmatic marsupials. Almost indistinguishable from placental (eutherian) moles, they provide a striking example of convergent evolution. Exploring the genome of the southern marsupial mole, we provide insights into its unusual biology.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Autistic people commonly have physical and mental health conditions. They also frequently experience barriers to accessing healthcare, contributing to problems identifying and treating health conditions. These factors may lead to increased and earlier morbidity and lower average life expectancy for autistic people.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Cervical cancer is the second most common cancer in women in South Africa. Infection with high-risk types of human papillomavirus (HPV) is the cause of cervical cancer, which can be prevented by HPV vaccination. However, there is wide variation in HPV vaccination coverage among the urban districts of South Africa; with the lowest coverage being 40% in eThekwini, KwaZulu-Natal.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFLoeys-Dietz syndrome (LDS) is a connective tissue disorder representing a wide spectrum of phenotypes, ranging from isolated thoracic aortic aneurysm or dissection to a more severe syndromic presentation with multisystemic involvement. Significant clinical variability has been noted for both related and unrelated individuals with the same pathogenic variant. We report a family of five affected individuals with notable phenotypic variability who appear to have two distinct molecular causes of LDS, one attributable to a missense variant in and the other an intronic variant 6 bp upstream from a splice junction in .
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